Side A
01. Nomen est Omen – 1:00
02. Nevermore – 5:25
03. Money Tree – 3:20
04. Human Masquerade – 4:20
05. Ancient Mirror – 4:46
06. Hourglass – 3:43
Side A : 22:34
Side B
07. Abandoned – 6:18
08. Swan Song – 3:46
09. RIP (Landscape of Sorrow) – 5:17
10. LSD Butterfly – 4:33
11. Under the Pale Moonlight – 4:03
Side B : 23:57
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Album description:
"HUMAN" is an epic Heavy Metal album born out of a personal need and is necessary for me.
It processes personal experiences and encounters with masquerades, superficiality, and apparent friends — and the will to not let them change me.
Two years after the EP Landscape of Sorrow, Tales of Mike presents HUMAN, an epic heavy metal album full of emotion, authenticity, and the will to survive. While Landscape of Sorrow was a personal tribute to my late brother Markus, I experienced how people around me were changing at that time. From this experience, I came to realize that I still had something to say. This is how HUMAN came about, processing the challenges of my childhood and my life—the will to survive in an orphanage, later encounters with masquerades, greed, and false friends—and the determined will not to be influenced by them. The lyrics were written by my daughter Shannon, who formulated these themes with clarity and depth. Her words merge with the music to form a powerful whole—direct, unadorned, and full of life. Together with Gonzalo Civita on vocals and Henrik Schaller on guitar solos, I have found the perfect fellow musicians to help shape the characteristic Tales of Mike style. Musically, HUMAN unites the diversity of Tales of Mike: epic heavy metal, doom elements, and thrash influences merge into songs with their own character, while a common thread holds the album together. The symbolism of the cover by Joss Miranda is reflected in the music and lyrics: greed, masquerades, the burden of life, the hourglass as a sign of our limited time, and the decision of which path to take—everything is connected. The result is an album in which music, lyrics, and artwork form a harmonious whole. Once again, Matías Takaya from Argentina provided the powerful sound, bringing the music of Tales of Mike to life with clarity, force, and emotion – as he did on the EP Landscape of Sorrow. “Those who sacrifice others to elevate themselves will end up standing alone.” HUMAN is more than an album – it is a personal journey, a musical reflection on life, one's own struggles, and the will to remain true to oneself.
Tales of Mike - Biography
Tales of Mike is the sound of lived grief, deep emotion, and connection. Founded by Michael "Mike" Heß (born 1972), this project is more than just music – it’s a personal journey shaped by epic heavy metal.
The loss of his brother Markus inspired something real. Music became a way for Mike to process his feelings and express raw emotion.
In 2022, he began putting those emotions into songs — dark and honest, with a need to speak what often stays silent.
With Gonzalo Civita (HelėH, Tribal) and Henrik Schaller, he found companions who support and bring his vision to life.
On August 9, 2023, they released their debut EP Landscape of Sorrow — a tribute to Markus, released on his birthday. A limited CD edition followed on January 4, 2024, exactly 14 years after Markus’s passing — via Fetzner Death Records and Schattenpfade Support Circle.
The music is heavy and melancholic, the lyrics personal and deep.
Tales of Mike is currently working on their first full-length album Human, planned for release in October 2025.
It’s more than just a project — it’s a personal necessity, born from loss, fueled by passion, and shaped by truth and dep
Line-up
Michael ”Mike” Heß – all Instruments
Guest musicians:
Gonzalo Civita – vocals
Henrik Schaller – guitar solos
Music & Recorded by Michael Heß
Vocals by Gonzalo Civita recorded at AV Estudio, Córdoba, Argentina
Guitar solo by Henrik Schaller
Mixed and mastered by Matías Takaya at AV Estudio Córdoba, Argentina
Lyrics by Shannon Heß
Cover Artwork by Joss Miranda
*(spoken words by Bernhard ”Doomchild” Tischler,
from Seeds of Doom – The Misery Show)
